Illuminating system, device, and method for in-flight refueling

• US 7,475,852 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hewitt, Gordon S., Shoore, Joseph David
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TIEN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/861,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20050269455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 244/135.A
• US Class Current: 244/135.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices

Abstract

An illuminating system, device, and method are provided to illuminate an in-flight refueling operation involving a first aircraft, serving as a tanker aircraft and carrying the illuminating system of the present invention, and a second aircraft, entering an in-flight refueling position relative to the first aircraft. The system, device, and method of the present invention provide eye-safe, covert illumination suitable for illuminating the in-flight refueling position such that the second aircraft is illuminated upon entering the in-flight refueling position.

Claims

1. An illuminating device adapted to illuminate an in-flight refueling operation between a first aircraft and a second aircraft, the illuminating device comprising:

a generating device disposed within an interior of the first aircraft and configured to generate an emission such that the emission is adapted to be predominantly in a near infra-red spectrum and such that the emission is further adapted to be eye-safe to an operator of the second aircraft;

a refueling operator station disposed within the interior of the first aircraft, wherein the generating device is disposed within the refueling operator station;

a directing device configured to direct the emission such that the emission is further adapted to define an adjustable emission envelope containing an in-flight refueling position relative to the first aircraft so as to illuminate the second aircraft as the second aircraft enters the in-flight refueling position; and

a transmitting device configured to transmit the emission from the generating device to the directing device such that the directing device is located remotely from the generating device with the generating device configured to be accessed by an operator of the first aircraft while the first aircraft is in flight and the directing device is operably engaged with and disposed proximate to an outer surface of the first aircraft.

2. An illuminating device according to claim 1, wherein the generating device further comprises a laser diode illuminator.

3. An illuminating device according to claim 2, wherein the laser diode illuminator predominantly emits an emission of a single wavelength.

4. An illuminating device according to claim 2, wherein the laser diode illuminator predominantly emits a single wavelength of between about 810-812 nanometers.

5. An illuminating device according to claim 1, wherein the directing device further comprises an adjusting device configured to adjust a breadth of the emission envelope.

6. An illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein the generating device is configured to share a cooling system with other electronic equipment within the refueling operator station.

7. An illuminating device according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting device comprises a fiber optic cable for optically connecting the generating device to the directing device.

8. An illuminating device according to claim 1 further comprising an imaging device for capturing an image within the emission envelope.

9. An illuminating device according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of imaging devices for capturing respective images of different portions of the emission envelope.

10. An illuminating device according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of directing devices for directing the emission to define a plurality of different emission envelopes and a plurality of imaging devices for capturing images within different ones of the emission envelopes.

11. A system adapted to illuminate an in-flight refueling operation between a first aircraft and a second aircraft, the system comprising:

a refueling operator station disposed within an interior of the first aircraft;

a generating device disposed within the refueling operator station and configured to generate an emission such that the emission is adapted to be predominantly in a near infra-red spectrum;

a directing device disposed remote from the generating device and outside of the refueling operator station at a location proximate to an outer surface of the first aircraft, wherein the directing device is configured to direct the emission such that the emission is further adapted to define an adjustable emission envelope containing an in-flight refueling position relative to the first aircraft so as to illuminate the second aircraft as the second aircraft enters the in-flight refueling position; and

a transmitting device configured to transmit the emission from the generating device to the directing device.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the generating device is configured to share a cooling system with other electronic equipment within the refueling operator station.

13. A system according to claim 11 wherein the generating device is configured to be accessed by an operator of the first aircraft while the first aircraft is in flight.